2023-12-20 07:03:37
[Reported by Cai Jingqian]In 2021, the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong compared 18 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and regions and found that the average life expectancy of Hong Kong men was 84.65 years and that of women was 89.6 years. Not only did it beat Japan, but it also ranked first for 7 consecutive years. The place with the longest life expectancy in the world. The Japanese media and experts were deeply curious regarding this and went to Hong Kong to investigate and try to analyze the key to Hong Kong people’s longevity. They believed that it may be related to Hong Kong people’s “food and medicine have the same origin”. They like to drink soup, walk, play mahjong, smoke less and other factors. relation.
Key to Longevity in Hong Kong 1: Food and medicine come from the same source, and soups are rich in nutrients
Aoba Family Clinic in Japan analyzed the key to the long life expectancy in Hong Kong and believed that it is related to the “source of medicine and food”. This is a long-standing health-preserving food culture and habit in the Chinese society. Some Chinese medicinal materials are used as medicinal diets or food ingredients (such as lily, tremella, wolfberry, etc.), and the color, aroma and taste of Chinese medicinal materials are used as seasoning aids in dishes, or according to the season. Eat vegetables and take supplements.
Japanese journalist Nakajima Megumi, who works mainly in China and Hong Kong, wrote down her observations. She found that the concept of the same source of medicine and food has penetrated into every aspect of Hong Kong residents’ lives, and they will deliberately eat “food that is good for the body” . ”
Walking on the streets of Hong Kong, there are many Chinese herbal medicine shops. Even “ordinary Hong Kong people” who are not sick will frequently visit these shops to prepare prescriptions that suit them (such as overcoming cold and cold, helping to survive menopause, etc.). It is not so much ” “Taking medicine” is more like habitually eating and drinking Chinese medicinal materials for health.
On the other hand, Hong Kong people love to make soup, and Chinese medicinal materials such as wolfberry, Luo Han Guo, and red dates have become common ingredients in various soups. Not only do they have the habit of making soup at home, but the “daily soup” in local restaurants also changes the medicinal ingredients according to the season, making it easy and convenient to drink nutritious soup.
Hong Kong physician Yu Tat-ming acknowledged this when interviewed by Japanese media. He pointed out that soups (old fire soups) will be cooked for several hours to fully dissolve the minerals in the ingredients. Japanese, European and American soups have shorter cooking times. It is less likely to have such an effect.
Kazumasa Harada, deputy director of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Health and Longevity Medicine who is well versed in cardiovascular diseases, analyzed that Hong Kong people like to use ingredients such as tangerine peel and ginger when making soup. The soup is rich in flavor and can help reduce salt and is good for blood vessels; from a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, tangerine peel has It has the effect of drying dampness and resolving phlegm, regulating qi and strengthening the spleen. Ginger has the effect of removing dampness and dispersing cold.
Key to Longevity in Hong Kong 2: Elderly people love to go out, walk, and practice Tai Chi
Hong Kong medical consultant Horima believes that the key to Hong Kong people’s health and longevity is “elderly people have the habit of going out.” He said that from now on, the elderly in Hong Kong will be more inclined to go out for walks than cocooning at home. Even if they are a little weak, they will still use crutches and walk as much as possible at their own pace.
On the streets, we often see elderly Hong Kong people walking on crutches, accompanied by their family members or caregivers, and walking slowly on their own feet. People on the street will also cast warm eyes on them, which can make many One of the charms of Hong Kong is that the elderly enjoy walking outdoors.
On the other hand, getting up early to do Tai Chi is also a habit of many elderly people in Hong Kong. Japanese media visited and found that a Tai Chi group of regarding 20 people was practicing at 7 a.m. in Wan Chai Park, Hong Kong, and this has become a common sight for Hong Kong people.
Mr. Liu Jingsheng, a 69-year-old man who participates in Tai Chi, said that he came to the park at 6 a.m. After finishing Tai Chi practice, he would go to “Yumcha” for breakfast with his friends. Now he has three children and five grandchildren. , 6 great-grandchildren, he is still full of energy and smiles every day.
Harada Kazumasa said that practicing Tai Chi in the morning can not only improve muscle strength, but also slow down the rise in blood sugar during meals, which can help maintain a good weight and prevent chronic diseases.
Key to Longevity in Hong Kong 3: Love playing mahjong and shogi to activate the brain and prevent dementia
Playing mahjong, shogi and other board games in parks is also a daily routine for Hong Kong people. Even in the hot summer, senior citizens can still be seen gathering around the park to watch chess, chatting and laughing. Dr. Yu Daming pointed out that playing games such as mahjong, moving your fingers and paying attention to the outcome can stimulate and activate the brain and prevent dementia.
Kikuki Shinohara, a professor at Tokyo University of Science in Suwa, Japan, once asked elderly people to use instruments to detect their brains while playing mahjong. Research has found that even if the player does not speak when playing mahjong, the parts of the brain that process language, information, memory and other functions will still be activated; the related parts of short-term memory will be strongly activated. Although it cannot be said that playing mahjong alone can prevent dementia, it can still be considered that playing mahjong is an interesting leisure activity that senior citizens can actively engage in.
Key to longevity in Hong Kong 4: Elderly people eat less alone
Japanese journalist Megumi Nakajima observed that elderly people in Hong Kong rarely eat alone. She found that every weekend, restaurants are often crowded with families of more than five people having dinner together. Even if it is not an anniversary, it is not uncommon for more than 10 family members to dine together.
In Hong Kong, a small and densely populated city, the distance between my parents’ hometown and my own home is quite close. This may be one of the reasons why Hong Kong people are accustomed to dining together. Although there is an impression of a “small place”, on the other hand, families can communicate and interact frequently, which also creates many social opportunities and has become the secret to Hong Kong people’s mental health.
Key to Longevity in Hong Kong 5: Hong Kong’s Smoking Rate is Low
Hong Kong has a low smoking rate. Not only is smoking prohibited in buildings, but in 2020, the smoking rate was only 10.5%, regarding half that of Japan that year. Today, Hong Kong has set a goal of reducing the smoking rate to 7.8% by 2025 under the theme of “Vibrant and Healthy Smoke-free Hong Kong”.
According to a survey by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, although the smoking rate among adults in Taiwan has dropped year by year from 21.9% in 2008, by 2022, 14% of adults will still have smoking habits. Since smoking can harm the human body’s respiratory and cardiovascular systems, and may even directly cause cancers such as lung cancer, oral cavity cancer, pharyngeal cancer, larynx cancer, bladder cancer, and esophageal cancer, quitting smoking is an important key to maintaining health.
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